NEHA/AAS Environmental Health Scholarships

By offering the NEHA/AAS Scholarships to eligible undergraduate and graduate students, we hope to positively contribute to the future of environmental health. The scholarship program aims to encourage early commitment by students to pursue a career in environmental health.

Scholarship Amounts

One undergraduate applicant will be awarded the $2,650 - Dr. Sheila Davidson Pressley scholarship.
One undergraduate applicant will be awarded the $2,650 - Dr. Carolyn Hester Harvey scholarship.
One graduate scholarship will be awarded for $3,750.

Application Process

Applications for this round of scholarships closed on February 15, 2024.

Applicants must:

Complete the online application form
Include a letter of support from faculty, your academic transcript (official or unofficial), and current resume
Answer why you want to pursue a career in environmental health (max. 1500 characters)
Describe your professional goals, including career plans after graduation (max. 1500 characters)

Incomplete applications will not be considered. We recommend having all components ready before beginning the online application because applications cannot be saved or returned to.

Please do not mail any items associated with your application directly to us. If you have any questions, reach out to us by emailing support@neha.org.

Evaluation

Scholarship applications will be evaluated on the following:

Submission Material	Weight	Required
Attending an EHAC accredited program	2%	No
NEHA or NEHA affiliate membership	3%	Yes*
Letter of support from faculty	10%	Yes
Academic transcript, official or unofficial will be accepted	20%	Yes
Current resume	20%	Yes
Statement: Why do you want to pursue a career in environmental health?	20%	Yes
Statement: Description of professional goals, including career plans after graduation	25%	Yes

*Optional for undergraduate applicants, required for graduate applicants

Eligibility

Undergraduate Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship, undergraduate applicants must be:

Enrolled in an accredited undergraduate college or university in the US, US territories or freely associated states
One of the following:
- Currently enrolled in a dedicated and recognized curriculum in environmental health sciences
- Currently enrolled in a program or coursework that qualifies a candidate for entrance to the RS/REHS exam
In junior or senior year of college (completed at least 60 academic credits) in Fall 2024 (Awarded scholarships go directly to the school.)
Intend to pursue a career in environmental health within the US, US territories or freely associated states
The undergraduate scholarship is to be used toward the tuition and fees associated with either the junior or senior year of college studies.

Graduate Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship, graduate applicants must be:

A member of NEHA or a NEHA affiliate
Currently working in environmental health
Enrolled in an accredited graduate college or university in the US, US territories or freely associated states
Currently enrolled in a dedicated and recognized curriculum in environmental health sciences
Will be enrolled in graduate courses in Fall 2024 (Awarded scholarships go directly to the school)
Intend to continue a career in environmental health within the US, US territories or freely associated states
The graduate scholarship is to be used toward tuition and fees associated with graduate studies.

Scholarship Background

Along with the American Academy of Sanitarians (AAS), we have established education in environmental health as one of our principal goals. We believe that structured education at the undergraduate and graduate levels is important to an individual's successful professional development in the field.

As a result, our Board of Directors established a scholarship fund in 1984 that began with a gift of $1,000.00 from former NEHA President Dr. A. Harry Bliss, and personal donations from NEHA Board Members. Because of their strong belief in scholarship programs, AAS also made a financial donation to the program, allowing us to increase the number of undergraduate scholarships awarded.

In 1996, NEHA and AAS decided to jointly fund undergraduate and graduate scholarships and call them the NEHA/AAS Scholarships. In 2020, the boards of both organizations voted to name one of the undergraduate scholarships to honor Sheila Davidson Pressley, DrPH, CPH, DAAS, REHS, HHS. In 2021 the second undergraduate scholarship was named in honor of Dr. Carolyn Hester Harvey, PhD, MS, RS, CIH, CHMM. These esteemed members served as champions for students and environmental health academics throughout their impressive careers.

Funding for the scholarships is continually obtained from donations, proceeds from association fundraisers, and NEHA/AAS budget commitments.